Quick Take: Coti Vision is debuting its collaboration with Lagos-based company Ilekeco.
Specifics: The Ilekeco chain is made from recycled paper, with each bead hand rolled and hand painted. The chain is available in four colors: Dika/Green (African wild mango); Ako/Red (a peppery berry); Ixia/Blue (a corn lily plant with light blue flowers); and Eso (a native Nigerian word for a variety of fruits). 
Selling Point: Coti co-founders Julie Hawkins and Nancy Gries said, “We have partnered with Ilekeco because of their passion to create something completely fashionable out of everyday waste. It has been an opportunity to create a relationship with a new supplier, from a really unassuming country, and for them to take our ideas and combine it with their native art to create the most fabulous glasses chains which are absolutely unique and full of character. It’s the sustainable fashion element and the ability to contribute to women in Nigeria that has made this project so important for us.”
Ilekeco designer and owner Anthony Uche Nsofor said, “We are grateful to COTI for the opportunity to change people’s perception of waste by upcycling. Making art from waste is our way of solving environmental problems. With such efforts, more consumers will become aware of what’s happening and this will make them rethink about the waste that has been generated through fast fashion."
cotivision.com